People v. Halloran

130 Misc. 2d 569, 497 N.Y.S.2d 248, 1985 N.Y. Misc. LEXIS 3240
CourtNew York Justice Court
DecidedDecember 2, 1985
StatusPublished

This text of 130 Misc. 2d 569 (People v. Halloran) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering New York Justice Court primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
People v. Halloran, 130 Misc. 2d 569, 497 N.Y.S.2d 248, 1985 N.Y. Misc. LEXIS 3240 (N.Y. Super. Ct. 1985).

Opinion

OPINION OF THE COURT

Frank E. Yannelli, J.

The defendants, Carol and Steven Halloran, were served with a series of 21 summonses alleging a violation of Zoning Code of the Incorporated Village of Rockville Centre § 134-4 (Village Zoning Code), conducting a business in a residential A district. The defendants appeared before the court and were most ably represented by William Cohen, Esq. After arraignment the defendants moved, pursuant to CPL 170.35, to dismiss the informations. Thereafter, pursuant to CPL 170.45 and 210.45, a hearing was held before the court on October 17, 1985, wherein all 21 summonses were consolidated for the purpose of the hearing and decision by the consent of the parties, for the purpose of making findings of fact essential to the determination of the motion. After receiving testimony and arguments of law from both the defendants and the People, decision was reserved.

[570]*570FINDINGS OF FACT

There appears to be no factual dispute in the matter pending before this court. Both the defendants and People agree as to the factual basis in that the defendants are operating a business, in their family home, of providing day care for children, no more than six in number, with a family day care permit from the Department of Social Services of the State of New York. The focus of the hearing and most able arguments of counsel regard questions of law entirely. The court will address these questions in relation to the findings of fact above conceded.

CONCLUSIONS OF LAW

The defendants, by both oral argument and extensive memoranda, address three main questions submitted to this court for decision, which the court will address as presented by the defendants.

The defendants’ motion and argument are three-fold as follows:

1. That the constraints of Village Zoning Code §134-4 are preempted by State law and are, therefore, void.
2. That the Village Zoning Code, insofar as it is inconsistent with State law, is void.
3. That insofar as the application of the Village Zoning Code differentiates between public and private schools, it is void.

In the desire for clarity of form and content, each of the defendants’ submissions will be considered in the order submitted by the defendants.

POINT i

THAT THE CONSTRAINTS OF VILLAGE ZONING CODE § 134-4 ARE PREEMPTED BY THE STATE LAW AND ARE, THEREFORE, VOID

There is no question as to the existence of the principle of the preemption of local law by State law and this court specifically recognizes and accepts that principle. As the defendants clearly stated and properly relied in Matter of Unitarian Universalist Church v Shorten (63 Misc 2d 978), and the cases cited therein, Mr. Justice Meyer, now of the Court of Appeals, held that a village zoning ordinance, insofar as it [571]*571conflicts with overriding State law, was void and stated (p 981): "In the face of the legislative policy thus clearly and strongly stated and restated, the village’s zoning policy cannot stand.”

Accepting this principle therein stated, this court looks to the statute in question, as directed by the defendants, Social Services Law § 410-d:

"This title shall be known, and may be cited and referred to, as the 'Youth Facilities Improvement Act’.
"There is a serious shortage throughout the state of facilities suitable for use for the care of children especially those of pre-school age and primary school age whose parents are unable to provide such care for all or a substantial part of the day or post-school day. A similar shortage of residential child care facilities also exists. Existing day care and residential child care facilities are overcrowded with long waiting lists. Many such facilities are so located that they are not accessible to families in need of such services. The absence of adequate day care and residential child care facilities is contrary to the interest of the people of the state, is detrimental to the health and welfare of the child and his parents and prevents the gainful employment of persons, who are otherwise qualified, because of the need to provide such care in their home.
"It is the purpose of this article to encourage the timely construction and equipment of such facilities with mortgage loan participation by the New York state housing finance agency. The provision of such facilities is hereby declared to be a public purpose which it is the policy of the state to encourage.”

The legislative policy of the State is crystal clear to this court by a clear reading of the statute wherein in the last paragraph it clearly and strongly states: "It is the purpose of this article to encourage the timely construction and equipment of such facilities with mortgage loan participation by the New York state housing finance agency. The provision of such facilities is hereby declared to be a public purpose which it is the policy of the state to encourage.” The purpose then is to encourage the timely construction of residential child care facilities and it is in that area that State law preempts local law. For State law preemption to become operative it is limited to the specific stated purpose to usurp local home rule. In the case at bar that purpose is the construction of residential child care facilities and, as a result that clear intention [572]*572and purpose of State law does not preempt the local law regarding the matter before the court, the business of the defendants, providing family day care. This falls well outside of that clearly stated State intention and, as a result, the court denies this count of the defendants’ motion to dismiss the informations.

POINT II

THE VILLAGE ZONING CODE INSOFAR AS IT RESTRICTS RESIDENTIAL DAY CARE IS INCONSISTANT WITH STATE LAW AND IS VOID

It is the contention of the defendants that insofar as the Village Zoning Code is inconsistent with State law, that the Code is rendered void as a result.

The case, which this court considers controlling authority and is in full agreement with, is Consolidated Edison Co. v Town of Red Hook (60 NY2d 99), and especially wherein the court stated (p 107): "Even if the Legislature had not preempted the field of regulations, defendants’ authority to enact local rules under the Constitution or the Municipal Home Rule Law is conditioned on the exercise of such authority not being inconsistent with any State enactment.”

The defendants rely on a conflict not with State law but rather the regulations of the Department of Social Services of the State of New York with the local Zoning Code. The conflict must be between State law and local law. For administrative regulations, while they may have the force of law they cannot create law, nor legislate, as that is the sole function of the Legislature. Administrative regulations are nothing more than the implementation of law declared by the legislative branch and can never usurp that power of the Legislature nor exceed it in the implementation of a statute. A legislative body cannot grant to any administrative body the power to make substantive rules unlimited and unrestricted by statutory qualification. In the case at bar the State statute speaks to the construction of residential care facilities, not home day care.

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Related

Consolidated Edison Co. of New York, Inc. v. Town of Red Hook
456 N.E.2d 487 (New York Court of Appeals, 1983)
Unitarian Universalist Church of Central Nassau v. Shorten
63 Misc. 2d 978 (New York Supreme Court, 1970)

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Bluebook (online)
130 Misc. 2d 569, 497 N.Y.S.2d 248, 1985 N.Y. Misc. LEXIS 3240, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/people-v-halloran-nyjustct-1985.